JOHN Cleese has revealed he is forking out up to £17,000 a year for an anti-ageing treatment.
The 84-year-old Fawlty Towers star claimed the hefty fee was “worth it if you’re buying yourself a few extra years”.
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Cleese, who has been having the treatment for more than 20 years, is ensuring he doesn’t “look bad” for his age.
He pays for stem cell therapy, using the “highest quality” cells from Switzerland.
The Monty Python legend told Saga magazine: “These cells travel around the body and when they discover a place that needs repair, they’ll then change into the cells that you want for repair, so they might become cartilage cells or liver cells.
“So I think that’s why I don’t look bad for 84.”
Stem cells are a type of unspecialised cell that can turn into other types of cell and are found in tissues across the body.
They can be used to repair and regenerate tissues that have become damaged over time or by disease, prompting a wealth of research into their medical uses.
Some studies have suggested stem cell therapy can be used to delay or even reverse the ageing process.
Mr Cleese previously said the treatment he gets involves the cells moving around his body offering their “services” to damaged areas.
When introduced to the body as therapy, the cells are not recognised as foreign objects, meaning they are not rejected.
Actor Charlie Sheen also reportedly had stem cell therapy to heal an old shoulder injury, while footballer Cristiano Ronaldo is thought to have had an injection into his knee.
Mr Cleese said he was paying around £17,000 every 12 to 18 months for the treatment.
He said: “But if you’re buying yourself a few extra years, I think it’s worth it.
“You must get the highest quality stem cells — the ones I have are from a place in Montreux, Switzerland, called La Prairie.”
Mr Cleese also credited his fourth wife, Jennifer Wade — who is more than 30 years his junior — for the spring in his step, but admitted it was “sad” he would die “some time” before her.
He added: “A lot of people comment and then the moment they actually see us together for two minutes they say ‘oh, I get it’ and it never arises again.
“What I love is that she’s 30 years younger than I am, but she keeps me young.
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“I mean, it is sad to think I shall die some time before she will, but I’m in pretty good health.
“I’m not fit, but the way I put it is the doctors don’t yet know what I’m going to die of.”
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Tips to age well
There are a number of habits you can take up to care for your health and wellbeing as you age.
Age UK shared the following tips:
- Do things that you enjoy everyday – whether that’s cooking, seeing friends or enjoying a good book
- Stay hydrated – drink six to eight cups of water a day
- Eat plenty of fruit and veggies to lower your risk of heart disease and certain cancers, have beans, pulses, fish, eggs and meat to repair your body after injury, starchy carbs for energy dairy to help keep bones strong
- Manage long-term health conditions to prevent them progressing or having a greater impact on your health
- Quit smoking and reduce alcohol intake to no more than 14 units a week
- Make mental health a priority and get treatment for it, as it can also impact physical health
- Make sure you’re getting quality sleep
- Keep socialising – and call a friend or loved one if you can’t make it out the house
- Be physically active to lower the risk of depression and dementia, heart disease, stroke, Parkinson’s and some cancers